Fall is in the Air

Labor Day has come and gone. Temperatures here in Chicago a week ago were dipping and Pumpkin Spice Lattes (pretty much pumpkin everything) are out in full force, so not surprisingly we here at Not a Corporate Fashun Blog have fall on the brain. Fall is undoubtedly the best season. SUCK IT WINTER! (And to a lesser degree summer and spring.) But heading into cooler weather isn't as easy as just switching out tank tops for sweaters. We have had some crisp mornings, but temperatures were in the 90s (yes 90s) here last week. Clearly there is a wide range of temperature changes before summer fades completely and fall takes over in earnest (despite what the calendar says). So how do you dress for this transitional period and embrace the pumpkin spice? [Katies 1 and 2 would like to take this moment to announce that they do not support pumpkin or pumpkin spice anything. Elizabeth says "fine, embrace the spice and fall fruit of your choosing".] We're glad you asked. 

1. Layering: Duh. Yes, this is probably the most obvious advice, but it is good advice nonetheless. When it is in the 50s when you leave the house and 75 (or higher) by the afternoon, you will need pieces that can go on and off as needed. (Also, while your office figures out whether they should turn on the heat or the air conditioning, you need to be prepared.) You need an outfit that looks good no matter how many layers you have on or have taken off. You can start with light weight materials and then add a scarf and a jacket (the scarf becomes a favorite of Elizabeth's when the weather dips). You can then lose the scarf and keep the jacket or vice versa depending on the temperature.
2. Accessories: Changing out your accessories can completely change the feel of an outfit. This is true of dressing an outfit up or down, but also for changing seasons. In the spring, a white jacket or light cardigan and open toe wedges.  Summer: pair a light scarf and flats. For fall, go with a blazer (see Layering, above) or a warmer cardigan and some booties. When the weather gets even cooler, add tights.
3. Color: In addition to the layers you don and the weight of the fabric, the colors you choose to add or pull out of your clothes also changes the feel of your outfit in a big way. For summer outfits focus on lighter/brighter colors.  For fall, drop brights and pastels for richer jewel tones and pair your outfit with darker accessories. Your make-up is another way to transition from summer to fall. Swap out that light pink lip for a vampy dark berry and BAM! your face says "FALL!" More earthy tones will also give you an autumnal feel.

Want some real life examples? 

For her transition, Elizabeth says to start with a dress made from a lightweight material that looks good on its own (on sale doesn't hurt). Here is the dress on its own, which is a great way to wear it in the summer months. 

Need to dress it up a bit? Swap out the flats for peep toe wedges and add a blazer.

For fall, pull out the darker colors and get a little warmer. A heavier darker color cardigan and neutral booties or dark green suede pumps do the trick. Pull out your fall purse and you are ready for a crisp fall day. 

Katie 2 bought the pictured AT pants back in the spring. (Unfortunately they are no longer available in her colors, however the Devin pants are an AT staple so swing by the site or in store to take a look for colors and patterns that will work in your wardrobe.) Katie 2 has gotten plenty of mileage out of hers so far. This morning, she decided it wasn't quite time to retire them for the year, so how can she transition them?

Layering is hard when it comes to pants, unless you're into the whole "double jeans" look. (PLEASE don't tell us you're into the double jeans look!)

For tops, Katie 2 started in the spring by wearing just a plain white t-shirt and her favorite pair of cognac driving loafers for a soccer game. In the summer, she dressed up a bit for work with a white button down or a white blouse topped with a pale pink cardigan (to ward off the AC chills). She usually wore her go-to "under the desk" nude pumps (the pair of nude pumps that literally live under her desk for when she doesn't feel like going through her closet and picking out a pair of shoes in the morning).

Now for fall, Katie 2 has worn her trusty Devin pants twice. First she paired the pants with this top from A New Day (hers is in blush pink, which is apparently not available online) and her navy suede Kate Spade Licorice Pumps (she talked about them once here and again over here). For the office, she tops the Devins with a tie-neck blouse like this one (or this is you're not into the dots). Don't want to rock the pussy bow? No worries- Katie 2 is lusting over this top and it will probably be purchased shortly (i.e. when it's on sale) to wear with these pants and a million other things.

When it gets cooler, a navy sweater is a great option. For a casual navy sweater, try this one from J.Crew. For work? This one is MACHINE WASHABLE PEOPLE!!! Work or play, layers are appropriate. Try a collared shirt under your button down. Or take a shell or your white T and layer on a blazer or leather jacket. Katie 2's go-to fall jacket is a beautiful cognac suede that she found at the Gap (no joke) 5 or so years ago and it was marked down to less than $100. We recommended this one for a blazer look or this one for something a little edgier. A little less obvious choice is to go with a navy option. For shoes, nude mules are very on trend.